Volleyball 

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam may not have made a splash in their debut at the ongoing World Volleyball Championship, but outside hitter Vi Thị Như Quỳnh certainly made her mark with an outstanding group-stage performance that introduced her to the world.

At just 23 years old, Quỳnh has emerged as one of Việt Nam’s rising stars, with a firm promise to lift her country higher on the international stage.

Quỳnh hails from a mountainous village in the former Tương Dương District of Nghệ An Province, where, as a Thái ethnic girl, she was more familiar with farming activities and the sounds of drums and gongs than with sporting pursuits.

However, she fell in love with volleyball and decided to pursue the sport at the age of 15.

“I watched many matches on TV and was really interested in playing before joining Vietinbank team in Hà Nội,” said Quỳnh, who initially wanted to play football.

Although Quỳnh began training four to five years later than most players, she developed rapidly, becoming a key member of Vietinbank and, more recently, Than Quảng Ninh Club, before earning a call-up to the national squad.

“It was really hard to live in a new environment with strange people and tough training. But I was strongly encouraged by family and team. They helped me be confident and grow up well,” she said.

The 1.75m-tall player is known for her powerful smashes, built on a solid physical foundation, precise attacks, and an all-round playing style. She excels not only in offence but also in defence, with impressive digging ability.

In the first half of the national championship, Quỳnh scored more than 50 per cent of the team's total points.

Meanwhile, she played a big part in Việt Nam's success over the past two years, with an AVC Challenge Cup title, a FIVB Challenger Cup bronze, a top-four finish at the Asian Championship, the top position at the SEA V.League 2025 and the country’s first-ever slot in the 2025 World Championship.

Individually, she was named the Best Outside Hitter of the AVC Women's Volleyball Champions League 2024 and the SEA V.League 2025.

Quỳnh has been scouted by several international clubs and it is said that she will play for the Yogya Falcons of Indonesia this season.

Back at the Thailand event, Quỳnh’s impressive showing versus Poland in the ongoing World Championship gained her worldwide attention, even though Việt Nam lost.

With 20 points, she not only powered Việt Nam to a stunning 25-23 win over the world No 3 side in the first set — one of the tournament’s biggest surprises — but also ranked among the top scorers after the first round, joining international stars such as Magdalena Stysiak of Poland, Anna Haak of Sweden and Brayelin Martinez of the Dominican Republic.

“Quỳnh is a consistent player and we appreciate her attitude in training and competing," said national head coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt.

"Although she is young and still lacks international experience, she is confident and focused. She is also a good option in our attacking plan."

Losing two matches in the group round, Việt Nam failed to advance to the next stage of the World Championship.

However, Quỳnh and her teammates still have an important task later this year, also in Thailand.

She said that with a goal of winning a SEA Games gold medal for the first time, Việt Nam and Quỳnh must constantly train hard, aiming to defeat arch-rival, reigning champion and host nation Thailand in December. — VNS